The 5 Best Online Knitting Classes [Ranked]

In this post we examine 5 of the best-selling Udemy knitting courses. If you're looking to learn how to knit online from a reputable instructor, Udemy and it's money back guarantee can be a great resource.

Our top pick is the Knitting Crash Course, taught by Emily Woodhouse. She says it's the perfect course for "brand new wannabie knitters" and Udemy has a video preview of the course- watch that to see what you think of her teaching style.

Knitting courses from Udemy teach students different knitting techniques from beginner all the way up to expert levels. These courses are online and offer a combination of video lectures and manuals.

Udemy’s courses are hosted by experts who give video lectures and offer additional materials such as PDF manuals. Udemy’s courses are online, which is a benefit to students as they can take them at their own leisure. To get started with a course, simply go to the Udemy website, select your course, pay the tuition fee and begin learning.

While the company boasts a large variety of courses, some buyers warn that many courses are too short and comparable to free tutorials you can find on YouTube. Also, many courses do try to upsell you on other products (Source).

Buyers say there are plenty of good courses, but some bad ones mixed in as well and suggest that there are sometimes language barriers with some instructors that can be a challenge.

However, like any course or learning program, you get out of it what you put into it (Source).

How Do They Compare

All of these courses are considered basic instruction and are what one would take as they start on the path to becoming a better artist.

For those interested in knitting, we took a look at 5 different knitting courses offered by Udemy.

Ultimate Knitting

The first one we looked at is the Ultimate Knitting Course: Knit from Beginner to Expert | This course is an excellent starting point and allows students to complete two simple projects: a scarf and a pair of gloves. Users rate the course as being good, however the short running time doesn’t only gets you so far. Also, the idea of being an expert after this course is a bit overstated.

Continental Knitting

The next course we looked at is Continental Knitting, which is geared mostly towards beginners. This will teach you continental style, which some say is a faster and more accurate way to knit. At just under 45 minutes, this course is short enough that most people won’t get bored, and it gets high marks for the clarity and easy to understand teacher (Source).

Knitting Crash Course

Up next is Knitting Crash Course: Learn to Knit it Now — This course teaches the traditional cast on and cast off knitting technique and participants will knit their own scarf during the course. Users rate the course highly, although some said the link to the required resources came back ‘page not found.’ Otherwise a solid beginners course.

Learn to Knit It

Learn to Knit It: Complete 7 Projects is the next course we looked at and found it to be a great introduction to knitting. With this course, the learner will get the basics and learn how to read knitting patterns and charts. Also, students will have the opportunity to make 7 projects, including a scarf, gloves and hat. With 78 lectures, it’s one of the more thorough courses we reviews.

Learn To Knit in 3 Easy Lessons

Last up is the Learn to Knit in 3 Easy Lessons by the Knitting Channel. What sets this course apart is that it’s taught by celebrity knitting coach from The Knitting Channel, Jill Moray (Source). Jill’s course is very thorough with 25 lectures and almost 2 hours worth of content. Reviewers praise the course for the information, but some say they wished the lectures were divided up into smaller chunks to make them easier to get through.

The Learn to Knit in 3 Easy Lessons By The Knitting Channel is a good option for those who want to grow from absolute beginner to advanced knitter. Students love the demonstrations, but some suggest creating lessons that comply with the standard Udemy format.

The goal of this online knitting course is to learn a breakthrough method called Knitting Pretty, which is said to be easier, faster and more enjoyable than the traditional one. It is hosted by Jill Moray, celebrity knitting expert and host of The Knitting Channel and The Hollywood Knitting Circle. In each lesson, you will have a knitting project to create along with Jill.

This knitting course might be a good choice for those who want to learn a unique knitting method that guarantees perfectly symmetrical stitches.

In general, students have a favorable opinion of the Learn to Knit in 3 Easy Lessons By The Knitting Channel. They agree that the instructions and demonstrations are very clear.

However, some students state that it would be better if the lessons were more divided into smaller lectures like it’s usually the case at Udemy.

If you’re looking for a top-rated online knitting course, you might want to consider the Learn to Knit It: Complete 7 Simple Projects. Students like the demonstrations and instructions, and so far have no major complaints.

This online knitting course aims to show you how to read knitting patterns and charts. It will help you learn the 4 most common, patterned stitches and show you how to invent your own as well.

The founder of the course, Emily Woodhouse, states that those who have completed this course will be able to knit various patterns with confidence and have the knowledge to create unique knitted items. This course could be a good choice if you want to delight your family friends with 7 personalized, handmade knits.

In general, students state that the Learn to Knit It: Complete 7 Simple Projects meets their expectations. They agree that the instructions are very clear and that demonstrations are excellent. Students add that the teacher is great.

In our research, we haven’t come across any significant negative feedback.

The Knitting Crash Course: Learn to Knit It Now is a solid option for brand new wannabe knitters. Students love that this crash course is easy to follow, but do complain about the bad camera angle.

The goal of this course is to teach you the two basic stitches behind every knitted fabric, help you master the techniques like casting on, casting off and changing color, as well as to show you how to understand types of yarn and read a yarn band.

As the instructor Emily Woodhouse says, this quick and easy course will get you up and knitting in under 1 hour. This course might be a solid choice for those who are fed up with trawling through YouTube and want to learn knitting quickly.

The general student consensus concerning the Knitting Crash Course: Learn to Knit It Now is that it is easy to follow, accompanied by clear and precise instructions.

However, some students find the course to be slow-paced. Some complain about the camera angle, stating that they couldn’t see the knitting needles or the yarn very well. Therefore, they suggest putting an over the shoulder cam.

Pros

​Easy to follow

Clear and precise instructions

Easy to follow/Clear and precise instructions

Cons

​Some find it to be slow-paced

Frequent complaint– camera angle doesn’t show the knitting needles or the yarn very well

Some find it to be slow-paced/Frequent complaint– camera angle doesn’t show the knitting needles or the yarn very well

The Continental Knitting class could be a good option if you want to learn a different, fast and fun way to knit. Students like the clear instructions, and so far have no complaints.

The goal of this course is to teach you to cast on, knit, purl and cast off the Continental knitting style. The lessons were designed by Rita de Maintenon, fiber artist, who states that this style is considered to be faster and more accurate than the traditional way.

She says that it is especially easy for people who crochet since the left hand is used to deliver the yarn. This course might be a good choice for individuals with an interest in creating their own style and designs.

In general, students have a high opinion of the Continental Knitting course and they conclude that it is enjoyable to listen to. They appreciate that the instructions are clear, as well as that the lecturer offers novel ways to remember what you learn.

So far, students have nothing negative to say about this course.

Pros

​Enjoyable to listen to

Clear instructions

Novel ways to remember what you learn

Enjoyable to listen to/Clear instructions/Novel ways to remember what you learn

If you are looking for an online knitting course, you might want to consider The Ultimate Knitting Course: Knit From Beginner To Expert. In our research, we haven’t found significant student feedback.

The goal of this knitting course is to make you self-sufficient in all aspects of knitting by showing you how to follow any pattern and correct your own mistakes. Designed by Scott Davies, the course is said to teach you the basic knitting techniques – knit, purl, cast on, cast off, increase and decrease stitches.

According to the lecturer, these lessons will give you the confidence to try a pattern on your own. This online knitting course seems like a good choice for those who want to grow from complete novice to competent knitter in no time.

What is Knitting?

As you may probably be aware of already, knitting refers to the method of molding a fabric or piece of textile to use it in any one of a variety of different kinds of pieces of apparel.

One of the most common aspects of embroidery is that while embroidering, there will inevitably develop a number of loops of yarn, also called stitches, in a straight line or in a tube shape. While cross-stitching, there are bound to be a number of stitches actively caught up in the needle at the same time.

A piece of fabric that has been knitted will have multiple successive rows of connected loops. As you advance your progress with each row, a new loop will be formed, which will then be pulled through one or more loops already in place from the previous row or rows.

This new loop is put on the gaining needle and the loops from the previous rows are then pulled off using the other needle.

By Hand Or By Machine?

There are a number of different types of yarns which you can use to knit (twists, textures, and types of fibers), differently sized needles and multiple kinds of stitches. All of these can be utilized to end up beautifully knitted pieces of cloth with unique and dazzling properties, which include the texture of the cloth, its color, weight, level of heat retention, its appearance, its water resistance and overall strength/integrity.

Essential Skills and Tools

When it comes to the art of embroidery, there are a few basic skills that you need to become adequately good at before you can start churning out well-made pieces of knitted fabric.

These basic skills revolve around the types of methods that you will utilize in your various embroidery endeavors as well as the stitches that you will have to handle. There are more advanced types of knitting which involve purl stitches. This will be discussed in detail further on in this article. For now, some of the very basic skills that you need to grasp are:

Learning how to form a slip knot and cast it on a piece of cloth,

Learning how to create the knit stitch,

Learning how to create the purl stitch,

Learning how to 'bind off' or 'cast off'.

Apart from these basic skills, you will also require some basic tools that are needed for embroidering anything before you can get started. For your first few tries at embroidery, you should try to be modest, instead of planning a large knitting project that would likely overwhelm you and cause you to quit halfway through.

So for starters, just get a hold of a simple pair of needles (size 6,7 or 8 sized needles are recommended for beginners). You will also need to get a ball of yarn of average weight, along with a yarn needle or a crochet hook. These are the basic tools that you require to get started embroidering.

Other, more advanced tools can come later after you have become adequately proficient at embroidery with these basic tools.

Selecting a Good Pattern for Beginners

Now that you have basic tools needed to get started embroidering, you will need to decide a design or pattern that you want to knit for your first knitting project. For beginners, it is recommended to make their firs project something plain, flat and small so that it won't need any shaping, which requires greater embroidery skills.

A great idea for your first embroidery project is to knit a scarf. One benefit that knitting scarves have for beginners is that since they are so lengthy, it will be perfect for making you learn the essentials of basic stitching. If a scarf doesn't catch your fancy, you can go for a dishcloth. A dishcloth is a similarly simple piece of fabric to knit that can be done quickly and enjoyably.

Knitting a scarf and then a dishcloth will give you the confidence you need to go ahead with more difficult things to knit. You should keep your first attempts at embroidery in sight, such as by hanging them in your room, to keep you motivated and remind you that you can do it.

Once you have decided that you would like to advance to more complicated things to knit, you should do research about various methods and tips about embroidery, according to your current level of skill, so that you can choose a perfect project for your first proper piece of knitting.

Health Benefits

According to scientific studies, knitting with your hands, or doing some other kind of work that involves handling needles with your hands, actually has a number of benefits for your health. These studies have shown that when you use your hands in a repetitive and rhythmic manner, such as while embroidering, your levels of stress, depression and other negative emotions will go down significantly while you are knitting.

The result of less stress and anxiety is that your immune system will boost its effectiveness. Along with this, embroidery also provides a calming and relaxing effect to the nerves, which in turn lowers your blood pressure and pulse, which in turn greatly reduces the chances of you developing heart-related problems.

Scientists who specialize in pain management have found proof that embroidering with your hands has a direct effect on your brain, by increasing the amount of 'feel good' chemicals in your brain (serotonin and dopamine), thus making you feel good as well.

Knitting with your hands, or doing something else like that with your hands, has been shown to have a direct link to lowered chances of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Just like being physically active has positive effects on the strength levels of the body, so does mentally exercising your brain through activities like embroidery, can have the effect of making your brain more elastic and resilient.

Asides from these health benefits, embroidery also has plenty of social benefits. Knitting is something that only people who are dedicated to it do on a regular basis. So joining an embroidery club is a great way to meet like-minded people with whom you can interact and socialize and develop great friendships.

Finally, another of the many ways that embroidery is great for you is that it helps a lot in improving the dexterity of your fingers and hands. The more you knit, the more limber and flexible your fingers and hands will be. This is of special advantage to those people who suffer from arthritis. If you suffer from arthritis, making knitting a daily habit can go a long way towards reducing the pain in your hand and finger joints.

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